


Scales

by Bumblebees_Guardian_FF



Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Creatures & Monsters, Alternate Universe - Dragons, Dragon!Angus MacGyver, Fantasy, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Team as Family, angus macgyver + fire, inspired by a moodboard on tumblr
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-31
Updated: 2018-09-14
Packaged: 2019-06-19 05:23:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15503232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bumblebees_Guardian_FF/pseuds/Bumblebees_Guardian_FF
Summary: Mac has always lived with secrets. Maybe that's what makes him so good at his job. Or maybe it's the fact that his biggest secret of all is that he's not exactly human. Treading the line between the natural and the supernatural world, Mac is a dragon, a creature with the ability to shift naturally between a humanoid form and his true visage. But some secrets can't be kept forever and in a world full of Hunters and the legendary Knights, it's dangerous to trust just anyone with the truth. Thankfully, sometimes secrets don't have to stay secret. Especially not from family. AKA How Mac reveals his secret to his friends and finds his real family even though the world is a scary place for a lonely dragon.





	1. Jack + Ambush

**Author's Note:**

  * For [just_another_outcast](https://archiveofourown.org/users/just_another_outcast/gifts).



> Inspired by an Angus MacGyver + Fire moodboard on Tumblr which can be found here: https://bands-space-and-monsters-oh-my.tumblr.com/post/175865974718/also-requested-by-anon-mac-fire-moodboard-i . Thank you for the inspiration!
> 
> First chapter is a lot of background, but I promise it gets better.
> 
> I have no beta reader so any mistakes are my own! Reviews are appreciated!

Mac is the last of the MacGyver line of dragon. At least, with his father gone and nowhere to be found, he is, as far as he knows, the last.

It's different on his mother's side. His grandfather, Harry, means he's not the last of the Jackson line. But being a Jackson is dangerous, more dangerous than being a MacGyver. Some relative in centuries long past did some horrible thing, the details of who or what lost to time, but it muddies the name Jackson until every Hunter and Knight will kill a Jackson dragon without question, even of they haven't done anything. So even Harry takes the name of MacGyver and thus, becomes the last of the Jackson line long before Mac understands why.

His father, for the short time he is in Mac's life, teaches him how to be a trickster dragon, the rare skill possessed by all dragons born of the MacGyver line. It's some part intelligence, some part quick thinking, and other parts sheer inexplicable luck.

His mother, for the even shorter time she is in his life, teaches him how to use his heart. How to use the extra warmth he gives off to make the world a better place, to have a kind heart and a good soul. To share his gifts with others and make the world just a bit brighter.

Harry though... Harry is the one who is left to teach him when he comes of age and the fire blood of the Jackson line presents itself. 

Being a dragon now isn't nearly as dangerous as it was in years past, but the world still isn't supposed to know they exist. If they did, well, Mac doesn't want to find out what is consequences might be. Which is why when he accidentally triggers his fire transformation for the first time and basically blows up the football field, Harry is quick to form some BS story about chemicals and explosives and thankfully, luckily, the story is all too easily accepted.

For the next year, Harry spends every free second teaching Mac to control the change and to prevent emotions like anger or fear from making him lose control. It takes some time, but Mac gains his control within that year. And it's not just because of Harry. Bozer plays a huge part in it as well.

Because Bozer was there of course when Mac transformed the first time and by some sheer luck wasn't hurt. Harry had been certain the boy had been one of them or had some magic about him, but Bozer had simply been very quick to find cover. Mac's friend had been shocked as Hell in the aftermath and had a million questions, but when it came to telling the police what had happened, Bozer had lied better than he'd ever lied before or again. It was for that reason alone that on the car ride home, Harry made Bozer Mac's first Secret Keeper. He told him everything about their secret and lineage and why Mac hadn't shared anything with his friend. Because first of all, who was going to believe dragons were a real thing without proof and second, knowing about dragons was a very big secret for any young boy to keep. But Bozer proved he was worthy of the truth and, after some mild panic on his part, was Mac's biggest supporter through his training year and for every year after.

It's hard to leave for MIT, but it's a wonderful feeling to be unknown and unafraid for once. He makes friends with Frankie and Smitty and he pretends to be normal. But the normality of MIT ends for Mac when he loses Harry, the weight of his lineage and responsibilities that come with his secret are suddenly too much to bear. He enlists in the Army and suddenly he's working as an EOD with Pena, excelling almost too well at the job. And he should, honestly. No one could say they knew fire better than a dragon, especially a Jackson dragon. Perhaps, one day, he would have told Pena his secret. Because he did trust Pena almost as much as Harry and Bozer. But that day never comes and suddenly Pena dies in a situation Mac could have survived. And it kills Mac inside that it should have been him, not Pena in the building. Sure, his secret would have been known, but Pena would have lived. And that alone eats at him inside until he's just one confrontation, one bout of anguish or anger away from blowing a fuse, or worse, unleashing an uncontrolled fire transformation. That is, he thinks he might until he meets Jack Dalton. 

Jack is the biggest pain in the ass Mac has ever met. It kills him inside that it was his first fight with Jack that stopped his internal raging and suddenly gave Mac's anger an external outlet. It's not that he hates Jack, but he definitely dislikes him, especially when he brings up Pena's death so callously. That alone makes Mac see red for a moment before he manages to calm himself. 64 days with Jack seems like it's going to be an eternity. Except over their first 64 days together, his distaste and annoyance with Jack give way to a begrudging sense of respect and appreciation. Jack might talk loud and act the part of a 'knuckle dragger,' but it doesn't take long for Mac to come to appreciate his obnoxious Overwatch and after they save each other's hides a few times, he trusts Jack nearly as much as he did Pena.

But 64 days isn't long enough for Mac to feel he can tell Jack his secret and he certainly isn't going to tell Jack before he leaves. Except Jack doesn't leave. He re-ups for Mac's sake and finally someone besides Bozer in Mac's life decides to stay. And it makes Mac hesitant. Would Jack stay if he knew the truth? Or worse, would he try to kill him? Dragons were considered monsters after all. Would Jack see him as a monster then? So on day 74, Mac decides to wait. Because maybe Jack will never need to know. 

Except even Mac's luck runs out sometimes.

It's day 89 of working together in the Sandbox when Jack finds out Mac's not so little secret. They're pinned down, no backup near enough to help them. Mac had been disarming dozens of mines that had been placed outside the village when by some luck, he spotted their attackers before the first man could fire, calling to the villagers to take cover in the local dialect as he headed straight for Jack and their Humvee. Of course, Jack is already covering his ass, taking out the first attackers as they fire at Mac's heels. They take cover behind their Humvee because driving off is not an option. Not only could neither of them ever leave the villagers to be killed by their attackers, but they still have too many mines left to find around the area and the attackers are coming straight from the only areas they had cleared.

"Please tell me you got something we could use to take all of these guys out!" Jack yells, taking down a few shooters, "I didn't exactly come here with unlimited ammo!"

"I know!" Mac yells back, trying not to feel afraid as he realizes he really has nothing to work with. He could try taking the mines apart and turning them into some sort of grenades or an elaborate trap, but that would take more time than they had. Hell, even if he could get the explosives out to use them, a stray bullet might set them off before Mac had a chance to do anything with it. "I'm out of options here, Jack. How much longer until backup arrives?"

"Ten minutes, give or take. Longer if they have to deal with these guys still to get to us," Jack replies. He takes out two more attackers ahead of them before turns back to Mac. His eyes go wide and he has no chance to call out Mac's name before an arm is around Mac's throat, pulling the EOD to his feet before a gun is pressed into his neck just below his jaw.

_"Drop it or he dies,"_ the man says in Dari. Mac is tempted to struggle, but even if he did get free, the gun barrel is too close. If the man fired off a shot before Mac got free... Worse, if Mac transformed and the man fired, the shot could damn well ricochet off his skin and hit Jack instead.

Jack freezes, his weapon still aimed away from Mac's captor and the barrel now aimed toward the dirt. "Mac?"

The man holding Mac jabs the EOD sharply with the gun barrel as if warning him to remain silent and then barks at Jack. _"Drop the gun or the bomb soldier dies."_

The man's phrasing of Mac's specialty makes Mac uneasy and he sees the same unease in Jack's body language. The only reason this guy would care about Mac's occupation is if it was important to their cause. Which could only mean they were going to be taken alive and that scares the Hell out of Mac.

_"You don't want to do that,"_ Jack replies in Dari, obviously having come to the same conclusion, _"You want him alive."_

_"Then you will lay down your weapon or you both die."_ The man doesn't flinch, tightening his grip on Mac.

Jack looks Mac in the eyes and holds his gaze, trying to look reassuring as he slowly sets his gun down on the ground. _"It's down. Let him go."_

The man holding Mac chuckles and the EOD finally notices that the gunfire has stopped. Their attackers have entered the village and now have them surrounded. Mac counts ten that he can see in front of him and he estimates that there's an equal number behind the man holding him. From the growing look of frustration in Jack's eyes, Mac's assumptions aren't wrong. The EOD wonders briefly how many of their attackers Jack managed to take down during the fight and how much worse their odds could have been.

_"Remove their armor and tie them up. We will take both."_

Mac struggles as the man holding him, the one barking out the orders, throws him into the hands of the other men. Two men hold him while three more remove his gear. The rest of the men drag Jack to his feet and begin removing his gear. Jack struggles too, but the men holding him just punch him in the stomach and send him to his knees. And despite the pain the scene causes Mac, it gives him an idea. A bad idea, but an idea none the less. Because if they don't get out of this, they're dead or worse, they'll be tortured until they break and then they'll be killed. They can't count on being rescued or being able to escape. And Mac is pretty sure hiding his secret isn't worth their lives.

"Jack, get down!" Mac yells, spotting Jack falling to the sand the moment the words leave his mouth. The EOD tears free of the men holding him as he taps into his inner strength, feeling the heat and the rush of his transformation as he allows himself to unleash the part of him he's been hiding for so long.

The nearest attackers stumble back from the flames Mac's transformation releases as they burn anything or anyone close. The smell of burnt fibers and flesh meets Mac's nostrils and he suppresses the urge to gag as he lashes out with tail and claw. He doesn't want to kill anyone. But he doesn't want to die either and he certainly won't let Jack die.

Bullets ping off Mac's hide as the few men left standing, the ones who didn't run at the sight of him, fire every last bullet they have at him. Mac quietly hopes Jack hasn't been hit by a ricochet and immediately rounds upon the men, bowling some shooters over with his tail and buffeting the rest to the sand with a hard stroke of his wings. He snarls and shoots a jet of flame over them, sending those that were left and/or alive scrambling back the way they came.

Seeing the men running away is both a relief and quite pleasing. If Mac cared, he would follow and chase them all the way back to the holes they climbed out of, but he has a bigger priority. A more important one.

"Jack?" Mac turns back toward his Overwatch only to panic when he can't find him. "Jack?!"

Mac shifts back to his human form, instantly looking around for Jack. His mind races with horrible thoughts. Did Jack get hit? In the confusion, had these people ended up taking Jack and Mac had been too distracted to see? Had Jack run and gotten buried by sand when Mac-?!

A shot rings out, flying just past Mac and he panics for a moment. He'd forgotten that Jack might take his transformation badly. And he's a sitting duck now-

"Take a breath, MacGyver. Just don't breathe out any more fire at me, ok?"

Mac's gaze finally settles on Jack who is standing by the Humvee and whose gun is still raised from firing, but aimed well passed Mac. The EOD turns around to look behind in time to see the leader of the attackers keeling over from a head shot. Jack hadn't been shooting at him. Or had he?

"You should have checked them before you shifted back," says Jack almost calmly as he holsters his weapon, "It's one thing to kill an American soldier. A dragon on the other hand is like a freaking gold medal to these guys."

"How-What?" Mac's brain starts short-circuiting and suddenly he's on his knees with Jack kneeling before him, his Overwatch keeping Mac upright with one arm around the back of Mac's head and another hand cradling Mac's face.

"Mac. Mac, stay with me, buddy. I need you to breathe," says Jack evenly, "In and out. Come on now. Just breathe. No fire though please. Stick with just air."

Mac wants to laugh, but it comes out a half choked noise. He's so unsure what's happening anymore that he gives no resistance when Jack scoops him up and deposits him in the Humvee with his discarded gear which he puts back on robotically. Jack is back with him before Mac is finished, the former Delta also back in his gear.

"Just focus on breathing, Mac. I think I see our backup arriving. Don't worry. I'll handle this." Mac hears Jack this time and almost panics again until Jack grabs his shoulders. "I've got you, kid. Trust me."

And Mac does. He stays silent as Jack tells the arriving soldiers where the last of their attackers went and how Mac managed to fashion an explosive out of bits and bobs to get them out of their rather tight spot. No one questions Jack's story and the soldiers fan out to secure the area. Amazingly, Mac regains just enough brain power back to warn about the mines which Jack passes along to their rescuers. Then Jack gets in the Humvee with Mac and they sit there in silence, neither speaking for the longest time.

Mac waits, his panic lessening as his breathing evens out. He doesn't want to be the first to talk, but he has so many questions and he's terrified of the answers he'll get. And he's scared of what Jack might say if he speaks first.

"...did you know?" Mac finally asks quietly and Jack tilts his head, inviting him to continue. "Did you know what I was this whole time?"

"No. I didn't know," Jack replies, "I suspected you might be a dragon after our first tussle in the barracks. I mean, you were stronger than you looked that's for sure. A lot stronger. So I figured, don't ask, don't tell, you know? If you were a dragon, you'd tell me when you were ready. Kind of a weird way to get told in the end, but..."

"I'm sorry," Mac says quickly, "I should have told you sooner, but-"

"Hey," Jack interrupts gently, grabbing Mac's arm to get his attention, "You got nothing to be sorry for, you hear me? Like I said, I figured you would tell me if and when you were ready. And I'm glad you did. You've got no reason to be apologizing when I need to be thanking you for saving our hides. So, thank you. Honestly, thank you. I know none of that was easy for you to do, but you saved us."

Mac swallows, quiet once again as he processes Jack's words. "...so how do you know about...us?"

Jack smiles almost sadly. "Well, you told me your secret so I guess I should tell you mine. Back when I was a Delta, I met my first dragon and he ended up becoming a good buddy of mine. He was part of the SEALs when we first met, one of the youngest. He was paired up with my Delta team for a while by some of the head honchos who decided we needed him for a few missions. During our third mission together, we all ended up in an ambush and he pulled our asses out of the fire quite literally. Straight up scared the shit out of me when he transformed, same for a few other guys that didn't know yet. But turns out the military and Delta are full of dragons, not to mention a few dozen intelligence agencies. My SEAL buddy actually found me my old job at the CIA because of my experience with him."

"You were in the CIA?" Mac sputters out, not sure if he's more startled by the revelation of more dragons in the military or Jack's old job.

"Yeah. Worked with a few different divisions there, but they always picked me for working with dragons and dragon related affairs. I found out later that me and about a hundred other agents were what they call Secret Keepers, agents used to safeguard the supernatural world and the human world." Jack leans back in his seat a little. "Makes me wonder now if we somehow got paired up on purpose now. Seems like too big of a coincidence to me."

Mac nods, feeling uneasy despite Jack's confession. The idea of a whole covert supernatural world within the one he already knew was honestly terrifying. "...when you say dragon related affairs, what do you mean?"

Jack looks down at this, his hands in his lap suddenly the most fascinating thing in the world. "...I'm not gonna lie to you, Mac. I've met a lot of good people like you that happened to be dragons. But I've met some bad people too who happen to be dragons. Dragons who were doing some not so nice stuff. I probably shouldn't be telling you this, but we had this black and gold dragon pulling some nasty shit in Chechnya... Needless to say, things went south, the mission was completed, but I screwed up bad and this guy got away. Took another month to find him and stop him for good, but I left the CIA after that. So yeah. Dragon related affairs."

"So you're a Knight then," Mac whispers, a bit more wary now. Knights, like Hunters, were the creatures in the shadows that kept all dragon children up at night and checking under their beds. Supposedly the Knights were all gone now, but...

"No," Jack states firmly, looking almost alarmed, "No, I'm not a Knight. God, no." He shudders. "Steve, my SEAL buddy, told me about those monsters. I hope they're not around anymore for everyone's sake."

Mac nods soberly, wishing he didn't feel so damn relieved all of a sudden. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have doubted you."

"It's all right. I understand where you're coming from. This is...it's a big thing for you." Jack hesitates. "...am I the first human you've ever shown?"

Mac shakes his head. "No. Bozer. My best friend. He was there when I transformed for the first time. He's the only one who ever knew except Harry, my grandfather."

"...and your mom and dad?" Jack asks quietly.

"Both dragons. Mom died of cancer when I was 5. Dad left when I was 10. I never heard from him again. Harry's the one who raised me." Mac replies, his throat tightening with emotion. He swallows hard and changes the subject quickly. "...thanks for covering for me. With the stuff out there. I don't think anyone would understand how I did that otherwise."

"My pleasure. I've had plenty of experience bullshiting stories to protect dragons," says Jack, "Seemed like a good time to use that to our advantage."

"Yeah..."

Mac watches the other soldiers returning to their respective vehicles. An order comes over the radio for everyone to return to camp and that another EOD team and their defense team are already on their way. Mac wants to stay and finish his work, but he knows better. His hands are still shaking and in an hour's time, he knows he'll be out like a light. Transformation takes energy, energy he gets from his inner strength, and he was definitely out of practice if he was this affected already.

"Let's talk more later," says Jack, "You look like you could use some shut eye-"

"Do you still want me?" Mac interrupts Jack mid-sentence, startling his partner.

"What kind of question is that?" Jack looks almost hurt. Why would Jack be hurt over that?

"You don't have to stay. If working with me-" Mac stops as Jack holds up a hand, making the EOD worry even more. Was Jack going to be mad at him?

"I'm going to stop you right there." Jack's voice is calm and reassuring. "I ain't going anywhere. I love working with you, even if we had to settle some differences first. Finding out for sure that you're a dragon doesn't change anything. I'm still going to watch your back. And you're still going to be the genius wonder kid who saves my bacon and makes me look like a 'loudmouth knuckle dagger' next to you."

Mac swears he tries to smile at Jack's honesty and humor, but he can't find it in him to smile. Jack doesn't want to leave him. The news is so welcome he can't even think. Hell, he can't even breathe.

"Mac. Mac, you still with me?" Jack touches Mac's arm, jolting him back to the real world and forcing him to take in a deep breath. "Mac? Are you ok?"

"Why?" Mac swallows and he suddenly realizes his face is wet. He's been crying and he never even realized it. He wipes away the tears, trying to pull himself together. "Why stay?" He doesn't dare ask his real question: why stay with him?

"Why wouldn't I?" Jack replies, keeping a firm, but gently grasp on Mac's arm, "You're my partner, Mac. That means I'm sticking with you no matter what. And I think we both know I could have changed my mind a long time ago. But I won't, you hear me? We're in this together."

"But I'm..." Mac hesitates. He doesn't want to say the word. It's what he is though, isn't it?

"A dragon? A smart ass of a genius?" Jack supplies.

"A monster," Mac finishes and immediately Jack's face grows hard and yet his eyes remain soft, "It's what I am, Jack. I'm a monster"

"No. No, you're not a monster. You're Angus MacGyver. My partner." Jack takes a deep breath. "Believe me, Mac. I've seen the real monsters in this world. Hell, the men we just faced are just one type that I've met in my lifetime and sadly, I keep finding more and more out there. But if there's one thing I know for certain, it's that you're not a monster. You never will be. 'Cause you've got more heart than anyone I've ever met. And you may be a stubborn pain in the ass sometimes, but you're also a good man. So listen to me now when I say, you're not a monster and there's nothing you could do to chase me away. You're stuck with me, got it?"

Mac nods, swallowing back an array of emotions. The convoy starts moving out and Jack's attention shifts to the road ahead, but Mac can still feel his partner's gaze landing on him every so often as they continue their journey back to camp in silence. It's an awkward silence, but it gives Mac time. Time to process the attack. Their near capture. Their little confessional. The fact that Jack wasn't going to leave him. That he didn't see Mac as a monster.

"Mac." The EOD jumps as Jack speaks, turning to face him. "We're here."

Mac glances out the window, stunned to see them pulling up to the base camp. He'd been so wrapped up in his head that he'd missed the whole trip.

"You zoned out pretty good there," Jack replies, "Something tells me you'll be hitting the sack hard tonight."

"Not sure I didn't just do that during the drive," Mac confesses. He takes in a deep breath, hesitating to open the door. "Jack?"

"Mac?" Jack replies curiously.

"Thank you. For everything." Mac swallows. "Not too many people who know me stay. And the ones who do stay...they usually end up leaving me too." _Like Mom. Like Pena. Like Harry._

Jack seems to understand where Mac's head is at, nodding somberly. "I'm sorry, Mac. I am. Anyone who's ever made the choice to leave you though is a damn moron."

Mac huffs out a short laugh at this. "I don't know. Dad was smart like me..."

"Well he clearly wasn't if he decided to leave you. Which means if he ever comes back, I'm sorry, but I need to give him a good kick in the ass, dragon or not," replies Jack and Mac smiles widely for the first time in what feels like years. Jack smiles back and suddenly Mac doesn't feel the familiar ache that comes from thinking about his father. It's new and kind of nice. "So... What do you say we go get cleaned up, grab some chow and then get some shut eye?"

"Don't we need to debrief?" asks Mac hesitantly.

"I'll talk with the CO," Jack says, "I'll tell him we'll report to debrief first thing tomorrow. You and I need some food and some shut eye after a close call like that."

Mac nods, not sure about getting out of the Humvee yet. "...hey, Jack?"

"Yeah?"

"Is ok if we talk about this some more?" Jack's posture immediately relaxes at Mac's words and the soldier looks almost happy. "Not right this second, but...maybe tonight?"

"Of course. It's very ok," says Jack with a smile. He holds up his fist and Mac immediately gives him the fist bump he's looking for, a smile spreading across the EOD's face as Jack's smile widens in response. It's the start of something more than just being partners. It's strange and it's different and it scares the Hell out of Mac that he's so unsure of what he and Jack are becoming. But, despite all of that, he wouldn't change a damn thing. Because somehow he knows that despite his fears and his uncertainty, Jack is going to be with him every step of the way. And for the first time in a long time, Mac feels so very far from being alone in the world.


	2. Riley + Sunlight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Less than a week into her employment at the Phoenix Foundation, Riley finds out that the world is a lot bigger than she knew

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there is a shit ton of world building in here and I promise there's more to come and holy fudge muffins it's a headache. But yeah! More to come! Feedback of course is very welcome! Enjoy!
> 
> -PatriotProblems

The first time Riley finds out about Mac's secret, it's barely a week into her employment at Phoenix. They're out in the field of course and chance has separated them from Jack. It's almost midnight in some random town in China whose name Riley can't recall and they're on the run from some not so happy bad guys that they've managed to steal back US intel from. Jack has led a few of the men away from them, but three others have still followed Mac and Riley.

"Freeze!"

They're about a mile from exfil still when they're cut off. Two guys behind and one ahead of them. The one in front of them is the leader and he's clearly beyond pissed.

"You think you two can just waltz off with our stuff without paying the consequences?" the leader says, practically growling.

"You stole this from the US Government. And we're taking it back," Mac replies and Riley can't believe how confident Mac sounds. This guy looks ready to rip them to pieces and Mac doesn't seem to even flinch.

"You're not going anywhere," one of the men behind them replies. It's only then that Riley notices that the man seems a lot bigger than she remembers. In fact, all three men do. Like, four times bigger than they should be to be exact.

"Mac..." Riley grabs Mac's arm, trying to point out the seemingly obvious change in the men, but the genius doesn't glance her way. He seems to be focusing on something, but Riley can't imagine what.

"I know," says Mac calmly, his eyes fixed ahead of him. If Riley didn't know better, she'd almost think they were beginning to glow. Inexplicably, that's exactly when Mac chooses to speak to the leader again. "If you know what's good for you, you'll let us pass. I don't want to hurt you, but I will if I have to."

The leader lets out a deep, mocking laugh which is echoed by his compatriots. It's unsettling enough to send a chill down Riley's spine as the sound seems to reverberate in her bones. It wasn't natural.

"You think you could hurt us?" Says the leader, still chuckling, "You don't know who you're dealing with, boy."

"Actually," Mac replies almost smugly, "I do. Mountain trolls, right?"

The man in front of the duo abruptly stops laughing and so do his men. Riley doesn't know who's more shocked by Mac's statement: her or them. Trolls? What the Hell was Mac playing at here?

"I wasn't sure until we kept finding you and your crew out and about at night," continues Mac, "But only at night. Then I remembered that trolls are allergic to sunlight. Deathly allergic."

Riley is pretty sure Mac has lost his marbles at this point. First trolls. Now allergies to sunlight? Sure, the last one could be a real thing for some people but-

The leader takes a step toward them and Riley freezes as the streetlight finally shows her his true appearance. The man is at least eight feet tall now and his skin is gray as a rock. In fact, the more she looks at the leader, the more she thinks this guy looks like a living piece of stone. Which was totally impossible.

"And what would a human know of trolls?" Growls the leader, "Are you a Secret Keeper?"

"Not quite." Mac grins, looking downright cocky and Riley almost wants to slap him. Being cocky in the face of weirdness is Jack's thing. Coming from Mac, it just seems wrong, even if she's only known the guy for a week.

The leader stops where he stands and smells at the air. "...you're masking your scent."

"I am," Mac replies matter-of-factly and Riley can only give him her best 'what the Hell?' look, to which Mac gives her an almost sheepish smile, shrugging his shoulders. If he wasn't being so enigmatic, it might almost be as cute and innocent as Mac was intending it to be. "Long story, Riley. I'll explain more later."

"There won't be a later," says one of the men behind them. Riley looks to see that the man and his buddy have been slowly inching closer to them.

"I beg to differ." Mac suddenly pulls something from his pocket and Riley recognizes the makeshift weapon Mac had cobbled together on their way out of the bad guys' hideout. He'd disappeared for all of five minutes and returned with the weapon which by all accounts looked like some sort of flare gun.

The leader chuckles at Mac's weapon and Riley glances between Mac and the leader uncertainly. "You think a gun will stop us? That it will save you?"

"No. But it's a start." Mac glances back at Riley. "Whatever happens, stick close to me and do exactly what I tell you to do."

Riley hesitates. Because honestly, what the Hell does Mac think he can do right now with a flare gun against three angry monster size men? But Mac's eyes are filled with determination and absolute confidence. Riley has seen Mac do the impossible before. She doesn't quite trust him. Not yet. But if she could trust anyone in a situation like this, she knows it would be Mac 100%.

Suddenly there's no time to affirm her understanding as Mac pulls out a small jar of something glowing. Something which he throws straight up into the air as high as he can. "Riley, close your eyes!"

Riley closes her eyes without question. Mac knows what he's doing. At least, she prays he does. She hears the firing of the flare gun and the men that are around them suddenly scream. She wants to look, but Mac yells before she can.

"Down!"

Riley is already dropping to the ground as Mac pulls her down, covering her with his own body. Or at least she thinks it's him until she feels something rough and scaly touch her arm. She tries to move, but Mac or whatever is on top of her keeps her down. Her eyes fly open and all she can see is red light before everything goes dark again. Slowly, the weight holding her down lessens and she scrambles free, standing and surveying the carnage.

There are small fires surrounding the ground where she and Mac had been and Riley immediately spots the prone and possibly dead forms of their attackers. Their skin has turned an even darker gray and she thinks they look even more like stone now. Her eyes instantly search for Mac behind her, finding instead something else that leaves her feet frozen to the ground.

Riley knows what a dragon is supposed to look like. She's seen enough fantasy movies and TV shows to have a pretty good idea what she's looking at. This one is about the size of a two story building with a huge set of wings and scarlet scales that shimmer both gold and blue in the fire light. Its calm blue eyes are fixed on her. If it was looking. It could have been a sculpture or something she hadn't seen while she and Mac were running. But the way it moves... How it stares at her... It looks so alive. Except dragons aren't real. Then again, supposedly trolls aren't real either yet Mac called those guys-

"Riley." The hacker can't help, but jump backwards as Mac's voice rumbles out of the dragon's mouth. It's a tad bit deeper than she knows it to be, but it's unmistakably Mac's voice. "It's ok. It's just me."

Slowly, the dragon before Riley shrinks, the wings and tail disappearing as the scales lose their color and pale skin takes their place. In the course of maybe ten seconds, Mac is standing in the place of the dragon, hands raised non-threateningly. The only thing that's remained the same is Mac's blue eyes. Except now he looks scared and completely unsure, a stark contrast to not even two minutes ago.

"I'm me. I swear. I'm sorry there wasn't a better way to tell you before I did that," Mac's voice is normal again though full of panic as he begins to ramble, "I was going to tell you before the mission but-"

"Mac! Riley!" Jack comes running out of nowhere, gun at the ready and fear in his voice. He looks between the three possibly dead men, the fires on the ground and then Riley and Mac, a dawning look crossing his face. "Oh shit... Mac, what the Hell? You transformed before we could tell her?"

"I didn't have a choice!" says Mac, still panicking, "When the leader cut us off, I couldn't just throw the phosphorus, light it and keep running like I'd planned. I had to-"

"Improvise," Jack finishes sharply, "Yeah. I got that." He turns to Riley. "Look, Ri, I know this isn't ideal and you've probably got a million questions, but we need to go before these guys wake up and try to squash us again. I promise that we'll tell you everything as soon as we're on the plane and in the air, but I need you to wait until then. Please."

Riley isn't quite ready to trust Jack (much less Mac at the moment), but a low groan from one of their former attackers makes her feet move anyway as Jack nudges her into a run with him and Mac. They make it to the exfil coordinates in record time, the exfil team driving them straight to the airport. By the time they get to the plane and in the air, an hour and a half have passed the trio have not spoken word to each other the whole time. Riley still feels numb as she sits several chairs away from Mac, watching the genius and apparently, dragon, wring his hands in his lap, his eyes never meeting hers.

The moment the seat belt sign goes off, Jack plops himself down in the seat between Riley and Mac on the opposite side of the plane. "All right, you two. Get over here. Now. We're getting all of this this cleared up before we get home."

Mac shuffles over to the chair closest to Jack, still looking at his hands. Riley hesitates, but seats herself closer to the two, but not too close. Mac notices and seems to shrink. He looks nothing like a dragon now. In fact, he looks more like a kicked puppy. Suddenly, Riley doesn't feel so good.

"Firstly, Riley, I'm sorry you had to find out this way," said Jack, "We were supposed to read you in after this mission. We didn't know we were dealing with trolls until we got here and obviously, things went sideways. Secondly, as much as you're mad at Mac for scaring the crap out of you and not warning you, he was protecting you. The fire from those grenades of his could have seriously burned you if he hadn't covered you."

Riley glances briefly at Mac who nods ever so slightly in agreement, still not meeting her gaze. "What was in those grenades?"

"Trust me when I say, you don't want to know," replies Jack before Mac can respond, "I know some of it's some sort of phosphorescent thing so I call them phosphorus grenades. I leave it that. The rest is just too weird to follow."

"Hey. I said it was complicated," Mac says quietly, rolling his eyes a little, "You make is sound like I excrete it or something."

"Ew. Dude, no," Jack says, his face twisting into a grossed out grimace, "It's just weird."

"Then what is it?" Asks Riley.

Mac opens his mouth again, only for Jack to clamp a hand over his partner's mouth. "No. No. Next question. Please."

Riley contemplates pressing the question, but decides she'll ask Mac again later. Maybe. Time for the big question. "Dragons and trolls are real? How?"

"We always have been," Mac says quietly as Jack removes the hand over his mouth, "We're just not exactly...open about our existence anymore. Only a small percentage of the normal human population knows about us and we try to keep that percentage small."

"And you're a dragon obviously," Riley adds, "So what is Jack?"

"A Secret Keeper," Jack replies, "One of those normal people who know about the supernatural world and who have sworn to keep it secret."

"And how long have you been a Secret Keeper?" Asks Riley, leaning forward in her seat.

"Longer than he's know me," Mac replies.

Jack nods and continues. "Back when I was on Delta, I had a SEAL buddy, Steve, that joined us for a string of missions. Then one mission we got ambushed by what we later found out was a sandfire demon. Steve saved our asses by transforming and dousing the guy. Turned out he was a water dragon of all things. So yeah. I've known for a while about certain things being...not what they seem."

"Which is why he went from being a Delta to a CIA agent who worked some super secret supernatural missions," Mac adds matter-of-factly.

"And it's also why I made Mac as a dragon almost as soon as we met," Jack retorts, "Mac's hand-to-hand fighting wasn't nearly Delta level and yet he still almost managed to pin me."

"I did pin you," Mac comments, his tension almost completely dissipated now as he teases Jack.

For a moment, Riley wonders if Jack has some sort of magic up his sleeves that he can calm and relax Mac so easily. A small part of her that's still bitter at her mother's ex-boyfriend keeps telling her that he's probably lying about being a normal human. But the more rational part of her brain knows that Jack would have said something about being extranormal or supernatural or whatever. Probably.

"You didn't have me pinned," Jack replies, "I was almost out of your hold when we got broken up."

"Not that you would have tapped out," Mac adds, "I probably would have broken your arm and you still wouldn't have conceded to my victory."

"Anyway..." Jack rolls his eyes at his partner and Mac's grin simply grows. "He was even scrawnier then than he is now and way too strong to be human so I thumbed him as being a dragon. But I didn't say anything to him about my suspicions until Mac and I were in a spot and Mac had to transform and save our asses. Kind of like today with you. Except I obviously had a bit more warning beforehand."

"Yeah..." Mac rubs the back of his neck, looking both embarrassed and guilty as he meets Riley's gaze again. The worry and remorse she sees in his eyes is too real for her to doubt him, even if he has been secretive. "I'm really sorry about what happened back there, Riley. I should have told you about my...ability as soon as you joined the team. I just..."

Riley fills in the blanks quickly. Three months ago, Mac had been shot and thought he had watched his girlfriend/teammate die. Then, only a week ago, said girlfriend showed up alive and well and turned out have betrayed everyone. Including Mac. Needless to say, his ability to trust right now was shaky at best. It was a wonder he had trusted Riley at all. In fact, maybe he had only trusted her because Jack did. Now that was a strange thought.

"I get it," says Riley slowly, "You just met me. Kinda hard to trust a person after just one week. Especially with the fact that you're a freaking dragon."

Mac smiles softly and while he still looks guilty, he doesn't look nearly as worried. "Thanks. And I am sorry I scared you. I just didn't want you to get hurt."

"I know. Thank you." Riley hesitates a moment before continuing. "And I'm sorry about kind of freaking out before. I guess I got a little overwhelmed between the trolls and well, finding out dragons are real."

"And seeing a dragon for the first time," Jack adds, "That definitely takes your head for a spin. At least he didn't actually breathe fire on you."

"That was one time!" Mac says defensively, "You snuck up on me and I reacted."

"Yeah and turned a whole patch of sand into glass," Jack retorts, "And you gave me a bald patch." He points at a random part of his skull, as if the bald patch was still there. Riley can't help the skeptical eyebrow she raises in his direction. "I had to shave my whole head for a week while I waited for it to start growing back!"

Mac snorts in disbelief. "It only took a few days and you could barely see it."

"My point being that you still gave me a bald patch," Jack replies. He turns to Riley. "Never mess with a trickster dragon or a fire dragon. They're really good at revenge pranks. I tried getting Mac back for the bald patch and I ended up with orange socks and pink fatigues."

"Which I replaced for you after you apologized," Mac adds.

"After you apologized for trying to smoke me."

Riley can't help the snort of amusement that escapes her, startling her companions and ending their argument. "Is this how it always is between you two?"

"Pretty much," says Mac. He nudges Jack leg and Jack nudges him right back, the two exchanging a grin.

The exchange almost makes Riley want to be that close to Jack again, but her heart and brain tell her no before her thoughts can dwell in it for too long. Jack Dalton was still the idiot who walked out on her and her mom, breaking both their hearts. Even if he had changed, she wasn't going to let her guard down with Jack ever again.

"So," Riley starts, interrupting the bromantic moment Mac and Jack were having, "What else do I need to know? Like, what shouldn't I say in front of Bozer?"

"The only thing Bozer doesn't know about is what we actually do at Phoenix," says Jack, "Bozer was with Mac the day he had his first transformation. Almost would have ended up a french fry if he hadn't had the reflexes of a damn cat and taken cover."

"First transformations are usually the most difficult," Mac says, "Over time, we can learn to control the change and from there we can do any number of things. Bozer particularly likes when I torch marshmallows with my flames. Jack likes it when I do this."

Riley watches in fascination as Mac's hand shifts into a clawed hand and then into the foot of a reptile. "Whoa."

Mac grins, shifting the hand back to a normal human one. "It's handy when you have to pick up something hot or pluck out bomb wires very carefully. Fun part is I can make a fireball and then throw it when I do this."

"He can demonstrate on the range when we get home," Jack adds, "Patty will probably want to give you the full debrief and have Mac show off for you a bit."

"Thornton knows about Mac being a dragon too?" Riley tenses. Honestly, she has a lot of respect for Thornton, not only because she's her boss and helped get her out of prison, but because she's a badass woman running a secret government agency. Government authority figure part aside, Riley would probably idolize her.

"Not to out her," Jack says, "But Patty is a dragon."

Riley hesitates, but frankly, it makes sense. The sheer power and confidence Thornton exudes with her every action. Everything about her screams dragon now that Riley knows they exist. "...like Mac? Fire or water or...?

"Stone dragon to be specific," says Jack only for Mac to clear his throat, "What?"

"Make that Northern Mountain dragon," Mac adds, "It's an important distinction."

"Right. Clan stuff." Riley glances at Jack who shakes his head. "That's something you can ask Bozer about."

"Bozer?" Riley can't help, but feel confused. "Is Bozer...?"

"Completely human," Mac replies, looking almost amused, "Harry, my grandpa, checked. He's also how Boz knows so much about clans. While I was training with my grandpa, Bozer was learning anything and everything he could about dragons and the rest of the supernatural world from Harry. The clans part was his favorite so he's pretty much a certified expert on them."

"Cool. So if Thornton is Northern Mountain, what are you?" Riley asks. Mac tenses a bit and she wonders if she should have pried. "...not that you have to tell me. I mean, I get you're a fire dragon already. I don't need to know more."

"Yeah you do," Jack says and he sounds genuinely serious and concerned, "Mac's a fire dragon and a trickster dragon which means he's a damn dangerous combination of power and brains. And not everyone who knows about the supernatural world cares if someone like Mac is good or bad. They just kill and never question."

"Seriously?" Riley frowns, noticing that Mac's hands are trembling ever so slightly. "Who would do that?"

"Hunters or Knights, thought the Knights are supposedly defunct now." Mac's voice is scarily quiet and Riley realizes he's actually scared. "They...kill people like me. Most of them don't know any better and some learn the truth and stop, but others don't care that we're not all bad. They just consider us...well, kind of like vermin. Monsters that need to be killed as some kind of pest control. I mean dragons, trolls, and other supernatural beings like me aren't exactly uncommon, but our numbers are nowhere near as high as they used to be."

"And some clans have been hunted into extinction," Jack added, "Some because they were the bad guys or because of one bad apple centuries ago."

Riley glances at Mac and sees him preoccupied with a paperclip. Jack's comment needs no other explanation. "...Mac's part of a clan that's almost extinct?"

"The Jackson Clan," says Mac almost bitterly, "My mom and my grandpa were the last and, as far as history needs to know, the Clan is extinct. It went extinct the day my mom married my dad and the day my grandpa changed his name legally to Harry MacGyver."

Riley nods, not sure if she should ask another question or change the subject. From the look on Mac's face though, the latter seemed to be the safer option. Maybe Bozer could fill in the blanks when they got home. Maybe.

"Ok. So Thornton is a Northern Mountain dragon. Mac is both fire and trickster," Riley repeats, "Mac obviously can do fire because of the fire part of him and he's smart and resourceful with the trickster part of him. What does that mean for Thornton?"

Jack and Mac exchange a look and Mac's mood lifts visibly as the two break out into mischievous grins. "Oh even I'm not crazy enough to spoil that," says Jack, "Showing off what she can do is one of Patty's simple pleasures. I'm not taking that away from her."

"Ditto," Mac adds, "You're much better off seeing what she can do. It's...impressive."

"Guess I'll have to wait then." Riley leans back in her chair, finally feeling completely relaxed despite what had happened earlier. It was so weird to be talking about dragons like it was an everyday conversation. Quietly, she pinches herself, some small part of her almost believing this could all be a dream. Except nothing changes. And it feels right. There's no secrets now and just knowing the truth about the supernatural seems to make everything make sense for once in Riley's life.

"So..." Mac starts with a smile, looking just as relaxed as Riley feels. His eyes are bright and full of mischief and Riley realizes in retrospect how much that combination makes sense now in regards to Mac. But it's nice to know why it does. "Any more questions?"

"Well..." Riley smiles back and Mac's grin somehow widens. "Just a few. If you're up for it."

"Well, we've still got a long flight still ahead," Mac muses, shrugging to Jack as he leans back in his chair. "Jack?"

"Fire away," Jack adds, "We've got plenty of time and I'm sure between Mac and I, you'll at least get something of an answer. Otherwise, Bozer or Patty might be able to help."

Riley nods. She might not have enough questions to fill a whole flight, but she's sure she'll think of more along the way. And for once in her life, it feels like she has all the answers before she even asks the questions. Because Mac and Jack aren't holding anything back from her. Not anymore.

"Tell me everything," Riley says, looking at her teammates with absolute confidence. There was a whole new world out there waiting for her and there was no way in Hell she was turning back now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! My first time writing for Riley so your feedback is very much appreciated so I can make improvements. Part 2 for Riley will be the next chapter!
> 
> Lots of love,
> 
> PatriotProblems


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